October 30th, 2008

The Ultimate Destination in St. Augustine

We really enjoy entertaining on the boat because the atmosphere is casual and laid back. Vanessa makes her famous Bloody Caesar to pair with an easy lunch of shrimp burgers with cole slaw and sweet potatoes. It’s the perfect start to a great weekend!

The highlight of our trip was definitely the evening spent aboard the Schooner Freedom for the “Ultimate Destination” sunset cruise. Inspired by the painting I created at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival, Chef Michael and his wife Christine opened up their cellar to share all of the wines featured in “Ultimate Destination” with a group of thirty lucky guests who joined us for the cruise. Galleria del Mar hosted a Dom Perignon reception at the gallery before departure which set the tone for an amazing evening of great wine and even better company.

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October 20th, 2008

Cleveland Rocks

What a great trip to see all of my friends in the Cleveland area and at Picadilly’s Fine Art! We drank some great wine and I enjoyed sharing a glass with all of the collectors who came out to support me.

One of the highlights of the trip was hanging out on the Lanigan & Malone morning show. It’s always a good day when there is wine for breakfast! Thanks to John, Jimmy, Chip and Tracey for inviting me to start the morning with them on Majic 105.7.

To download the podcast, click here and then choose 10.17.08 to hear the interview.

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October 20th, 2008

Oregon wine country

Although I always look forward to visiting Portland to see all of my friends and collectors at Shaffer Fine Art, this was my first visit to Oregon wine country. I took a day with my good friends Aaron and Renee Meyer and Gail Shaffer to take a trip outside the city for some new inspiration.

We had a great day in Newberg where we stopped in to taste at Beaux Freres, Ken Wright Cellars, and Anderson Family. Mike and his staff were in the middle of harvest at Beax Freres so we really appreciate the time he took to give us a tour.

We were lucky to catch them at lunch so we enjoyed the opportunity to meet everyone at lunch and to share some wine around the table.

After lunch, we took our visit up the mountain to meet Ken Wright at his vineyard. Ken is a wealth of knowledge about the different microclimates in the area, and we all gained a better appreciation for the science and farming techniques that winemakers use to produce the best wines in the world. We stopped in at The Depot afterwards to enjoy the fruits of his labor and I can definitely say that his knowledge is paying off – the pinot is amazing!

We couldn’t miss taking a trip to Anderson Family Vineyard where Cliff and Allison graciously hosted a tasting for us at their hilltop home. The view is stunning and we enjoyed tasting the pinot and chardonnay that Cliff and Allison produce as well as other neighboring wineries that use Anderson Family Vineyard grapes.

With so many great wines, we had to end the day in style. We dined at The Painted Lady and enjoyed the special tasting menu put together by Chef Allen.

photography by Pisarello Photography

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October 2nd, 2008

A visit to Greensboro

Thank you to all of my new friends in Greensboro who came out to visit me at the Greensboro Country Club. Roberto and Annabell Diaz came out to appreciate my original work “Pouring Into It” and to share some great recipes for Annabell’s cuban cooking. I’m looking forward to getting together for some authentic latin specialties!

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